Delightful December

Last night the snow fell.

Scampering around like a family of frantic field mice,

we pulled shovels from the back of the shed,

removed forgotten items from the yard

and added twenty minutes extra to

tomorrow's travel plans 

to deal with the

"weather."

After everything was done,

I stayed to watch the snow coat the branches of the trees

until they were as beautiful as a freshly iced cake.

The plunging temperatures caused some

to pull up the collars of their coats

and stamp an annoyed dance

onto the icy ground with their heavy boots.

I chose to watch

the golden light spill from the windows

of the houses onto our street.

It looked so cozy;
all these families gathered for a hot evening meal,

while their humming furnaces
sent soft plumes of smoke

into the darkening sky.

This frozen, wet stuff...

It's just rain, really.

Is it more annoying

because it's going to stick and stay?

Surely snowflakes

are a form of enchantment;

falling, frozen stars,

light as air,

each one sculpted, unique, miraculous.

They gather here and there

with an artist's flourish

and make something new from what was old.

Or, they melt and freeze again,

allowing us glimpses into other worlds

that only winter can help us find.

Whichever way you choose

to view it,

I welcome the snow

and all its wonder.